1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a fuel supply device for a vehicle, which uses an electric pump device, in particular, a structure of a terminal connection portion of a wiring for feeding power to a motor, in a fuel supply device for a two-wheel motor vehicle.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, a fuel pump module obtained by integrating a fuel pump, a pressure controller, a strainer, and the like is widely used as a fuel supply device for vehicles such as two-wheel and four-wheel vehicles, in view of the reduction of the number of components, the improvement of efficiency of an assembly operation, and the like. In the fuel pump module, an electric pump device (hereinafter, referred to simply as an “electric pump” as needed) driven by an electric motor is used as the fuel pump. The fuel pump is unitized together with the motor for driving the fuel pump and the like to be provided in a fuel tank or in the vicinity thereof.
In the fuel supply device, the pump module is formed by fixing the electric pump, the strainer, a pressure regulator, and the like onto a disc-like member called a flange. The flange is mounted onto an opening of the fuel tank. As a result, the pump module, i.e., the fuel supply device is placed in the fuel tank. When the electric pump is driven, a fuel in the fuel tank is sucked into the fuel supply device through a filter. After being strained by the strainer and subjected to pressure control by the pressure controller or the like, the sucked fuel is supplied to a fuel supply system of an engine.
On the other hand, in the fuel supply device as described above, a wire harness for connecting power-feeding terminals provided to the flange and the pump module to each other is provided as feeder wirings for feeding electric power to the electric pump. The power-feeding terminals on the flange side are electrically connected to external supply terminals which are connected to a power supply such as an on-vehicle battery. Electric power used for driving is fed from the power-feeding terminals to the electric pump through the wire harness. Male terminals are provided inside the flange as the power-feeding terminals. The wire harness is connected to the male terminals so that female terminals provided to a fore-end of the wire harness are respectively fitted to the male terminals.
FIG. 11 is an explanatory view illustrating a structure of a portion at which the male terminals on the flange side and the female terminals on the wire harness side are connected to each other, in a conventional electric pump. As illustrated in FIG. 11, terminal holes 102 are formed in the flange 101. In a bottom portion of each of the terminal holes 102, a male terminal 103 is accommodated. At a fore-end of a wire harness 104, female terminals 105 are provided. Each of the female terminals 105 is inserted into the terminal hole 102 to be fitted to the male terminal 103 which is present in the bottom portion of the terminal hole 102. As a result, the wire harness 104 is connected to the power supply. A rubber grommet 106 is provided to a base portion of the female terminal 105. When the female terminal 105 is fitted to the male terminal 103 to be connected thereto, the rubber grommet 106 is inserted into the terminal hole 102. As a result, the female terminal 105 is connected to the male terminal 103 in the terminal hole 102 while being retained by the rubber grommet 106. The terminal hole 102 is sealed by the rubber grommet 106. In this manner, a portion at which the male terminal 103 and the female terminal 105 are connected to each other is also sealed without being externally exposed.
However, in the fuel supply device including the electric pump as described above, if the electric pump is vibrated due to vibrations or impact while a vehicle is running to accidentally disconnect the female terminal 105 from the male terminal 103, there is a fear in that the rubber grommet 106 may slip out of the terminal hole 102 along with the disconnection of the female terminal 105, as indicated by a broken line in FIG. 11. If the rubber grommet 106 slips out of the terminal hole 102 as illustrated in FIG. 11, the female terminal 105 is no longer retained by the rubber grommet 106. As a result, the female terminal 105 is placed in a loosely-fitted state. Moreover, if the rubber grommet 106 slips out of the terminal hole 102, the terminal hole 102 is placed in an open state. As a result, there is a fear that sealability and insulation properties of the vicinity of the male terminal 103 and the female terminal 105 may be degraded.